In systematic random sampling, the random samples are taken at regular periodic intervals.

Learn more
about the definition, formula, and advantages of systematic random sampling, and discover how, when,
and why this type of sampling is used. Updated: 10/07/2021

Systematic Random Sampling

Lucas is a new manager at the local movie theater. The owner of the movie theater wants to find out
how the customers feel about the new renovations they've done at the theater. Lucas can't ask every
customer that comes in how they feel, especially when the movie theater gets busiest on Friday and
Saturday nights.

In this lesson, you will learn about systematic random sampling and how to use it when collecting data.

Quiz Course 127K views

What Is Systematic Random Sampling?

Systematic random sampling is the random sampling method that requires selecting samples based on a
system of intervals in a numbered population. For example, Lucas can give a survey to every fourth
customer that comes in to the movie theater. The fact that Lucas is giving the survey to every fourth
customer is what makes the sampling systematic because there is an interval system. Likewise, this is a
random sample because Lucas cannot control what type of customer comes through the movie theater.

Additionally, remember that systematic random sampling must still ensure that all outcomes are given
equal chance of getting selected in the sample. Therefore, Lucas cannot only select every fourth
customer that comes through the door during the evenings or on the weekends. He must select every
fourth customer every time the theater is open.

Lucas must also ensure that by choosing every fourth customer he does not include any sort of pattern
in the selection. We will talk about this more when discussing the pros and cons of systematic random
sampling.
Now that you understand the definition of systematic random sampling, you can learn when and how to
use systematic random sampling.

How to Use Systematic Random Sampling

Let's discuss when and how to use systematic random sampling. Lucas's boss wants to send his
employees to a weeklong training session that is out of town. Due to limited funding, Lucas's boss, Alex,
cannot send all of his employees; he must choose a group to go to the training. Alex owns 12 movie
theaters and employs 200 people. He has 12 managers out of the 200 employees. Alex can use
systematic random sampling to select the group of employees that will attend the training.

Alex can follow these steps to create a group from systematic random sampling:

Create a list of employees

Select a beginning number

Select an interval

Gather a list of employees based on the interval number

First, Alex will need to create a list of his employees. Then, he will need to randomly decide which
number to start his selection process. For this, Alex uses a random number generator to select which
employee he will begin with. The random number generator produces the number 34. Now Alex needs
to create an interval. First, he needs to decide how many employees he wants to send to the training.
After reviewing his budget, Alex decides he can afford to send 20 employees to the training. To find the
interval he needs, Alex can divide the total number of employees he has (the population size) by the
number of employees he wants to send to the training (the sample size), like this:

200 / 20 = 10

This would make his interval 10, meaning that every 10th person after the 34th person would be
selected until he had a total of 20 people.

Therefore, the following people would be selected:

The numbers 14, 24, and 35 are included here because in order to select 20 people, Alex will have to
continue selecting every 10th person, even if that means starting back at the beginning of the list. The
number 35 is included because the 34th person has already been selected at this point.

What if the interval number happened to be a fraction? What if Alex decided he wanted to select 23
people to go to the training?

He would still use this method:

200 / 23 = 8.69565….

Obviously, you cannot select .69565….. of a person. To compensate for this, Alex will need to pick every
8th person then every 9th person and continue to rotate this pattern until he has 23 people.

Alex would end up with the following people:

34, 42, 51, 59, 68, 76, 85, 93, 102, 110, 119, 127, 136, 144, 153, 161, 170, 178, 187, 195, 4, 12, 21

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Statistics 101: Principles of Statistics

11 chapters | 144 lessons | 9 flashcard sets

Ch 1. Overview of Statistics

Ch 2. Summarizing Data

Ch 3. Tables and Plots

Ch 4. Probability

Ch 5. Discrete Probability...

Ch 6. Continuous Probability...

Ch 7. Sampling

Simple Random Samples: Definition & Examples5:10

What is Random Sampling? - Definition, Conditions & Measures5:55

Stratified Random Samples: Definition, Characteristics & Examples6:25

Cluster Random Samples: Definition, Selection & Examples6:44

Systematic Random Samples: Definition, Formula & Advantages8:37

5:14

Next Lesson

Understanding the Law of Large NumbersUnderstanding the Law of Large Numbers

Sampling Distributions & the Central Limit Theorem: Definition, Formula & Examples5:06

Find the Mean & Standard Error of the Sampling Distribution5:03

Finding Probabilities About Means Using the Central Limit Theorem4:24

Go toSampling

Ch 8. Regression & Correlation

Ch 10. Hypothesis Testing

Ch 11. Studying for Statistics 101

Systematic Random Samples: Definition, Formula & Advantages

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Simple Random Sampling in Statistics | Overview & Examples

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Stratified Random Sampling | Proportional Stratified Sampling

Stratified Random Sampling | Proportional Stratified Sampling

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The main advantage of using systematic sampling over simple random sampling is its simplicity. It allows
the researcher to add a degree of system or process into the random selection of subjects.

Another advantage of systematic random sampling over simple random sampling is the assurance that
the population will be evenly sampled. There exists a chance in simple random sampling that allows a
clustered selection of subjects. This is systematically eliminated in systematic sampling